Tutungi, 27, injured his spine in an accident against St Joseph's late last month.

''Unfortunately, there's not much you can do in situations like these,'' Scott said. ''But everyone in the Geelong community, and particularly in the Geelong footy club, will be racking their brains to work out ways in which we can help the Tutungi family. It's as sad a situation as you can possibly imagine.''

Related Content

Scott said the many Geelong players who had formed a close bond with Tutungi during his time on the VFL list had been deeply affected. ''They're finding it extremely tough … I'm lost for words a little bit,'' he said.

''It's just a brutally hard situation to face for everyone involved, and our heart goes out to Casey and his family.

Advertisement

''We'll try to [help] as much as we can, but at the moment it's a horrible feeling of helplessness.''

Tutungi's father, Chris, said the life of his son - who is expecting his first child with his fiance Bridget in November - was permanently changed.

''The medical staff at the hospital gave us the prognosis no parent of an active, strong, vital 27-year-old wants to hear,'' Mr Tutungi said with his wife Carol in a statement.

Tutungi, who is in the Austin Hospital, fractured and dislocated his C4 and C5 vertebrae, which had compressed his spinal cord and caused swelling.

He injured his spine during an on-field collision with an opposition player in the last minutes of the game, reportedly flopping backwards to the ground and screaming that he could not feel anything.

He was placed in an induced coma on June 22 before being returned to full consciousness several days later to be given the shattering prognosis.

''Casey loves football. Ever since he pulled on his first pair of boots for the Lorne Football Club as a junior, he has lived for the game,'' his family said.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the league had no plans to make top insurance cover mandatory for players, despite previous calls from the father of a country footballer to do so.

Tutungi's accident came almost a year after Daryl Vernon's son Beau became a quadriplegic after injuring his spine during a football match in Gippsland.

The AFL stopped short of making top-level insurance mandatory after Beau's injury. Instead, the league wrote to all clubs, urging them to take out the extra insurance.

Keane said he understood Tutungi's South Barwon club had taken out the maximum cover.

Medical and care costs for quadriplegics and paraplegics can amount to millions of dollars.

Tutungi's family has set up a trust to help pay for treatment and equipment. Star Geelong footballers have called on people to support Tutungi and his family.

Geelong captain Joel Selwood said Tutungi's diagnosis was ''shattering news that we never wanted to hear'', and urged people to donate to a trust.

Tom Hawkins also called on people to support Tutungi. ''My thoughts go out to Casey Tutungi and his family. Let's all get around this champion and lend a hand.''

Steve Johnson tweeted: ''As a footballer this is as tragic a news as I've heard!''

People can donate to Casey Tutungi Future Fund by visiting caseytutungi.com or visit any Bendigo Bank branch.